Heat vs. Nuggets: Who are the referees for Game 1 in 2023 NBA ...
The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets will begin the 2023 NBA Finals Thursday, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The Heat are coming off a seven-game series against the Celtics in the East finals, while the Nuggets made quick work of the Lakers in the West finals in a sweep.
The Nuggets are 8.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook in Game 1. The total comes in at 219. Here’s a look at the officiating crew for the game and how it might impact bettors.
Marc Davis will serve as the crew chief, with David Guthrie listed as the referee and Ed Malloy coming in as the umpire. Tyler Ford is the alternate.
The home team has won just 45.5% of Davis’ 11 playoff games as crew chief. His average total is 224.7. Guthrie calls slightly more fouls against the road team in his 11 playoff games as a crew member. The home team has won 63.6% of these games and the average total is 217.7. Malloy has been in just five playoff games as a crew member this postseason. The home team is 3-2 in those games, and the average total is 233.6. Malloy tends to call slightly more fouls against the home team.
It’s hard to make any major betting decisions based on this crew, but Heat +8.5 seems like the best play given the mixed results for home teams. At 219, the over could be a slightly safer pick but it’s too close to call.
